What kind of flower is the Guihua (Viburnum macrocephalum)? Detailed guide to growing methods and precautions

Growing Techniques Jan 1, 1970 0 views

Guihua, also known as Juba Xianhua and woody snowball, is a semi-evergreen shrub of the genus Viburnum in the Caprifoliaceae family. Its large flowers resemble jade basins, formed by eight large five-petaled flowers arranged in a ring, surrounding the small pearl-like white flowers in the center, clustered around a mass of butterfly-like stamens. Stirred by a gentle breeze, it looks like butterflies playing with pearls, or like the Eight Immortals dancing, with graceful immortal bearing.

Guihua's growth habits

Guihua likes light and tolerates slight shade. It prefers a warm, humid climate and is relatively cold-tolerant. It is best grown in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. It is relatively cold-tolerant, can adapt to ordinary soil, and thrives in moist, fertile locations. It grows vigorously, with strong sprouting and suckering ability, and its seeds have a habit of germinating in alternate years. It is produced in southern Jiangsu, western Anhui, Zhejiang, northwestern Jiangxi, western Hubei and southern Hunan. It grows in hills, under forest on mountain slopes, or in thickets. It is also often cultivated in gardens.

Guihua's propagation methods

1. Sowing: Guihua is commonly propagated by seed. Seeds are collected in November, piled for after-ripening, washed clean, and cold-stratified until sown the following spring. The soil covering should be slightly thick, with grass spread on top. Some sprout and emerge in June of that year, at which point the grass can be removed and shade provided. After staying in the bed for 2 years, the seedlings can be transplanted to a different bed for division, and after 4 to 5 years they can be transplanted for garden landscaping.

2. Grafting: Guihua is grafted in early March (before the buds break). Take a branch from a mother tree that can bloom, cut a section about 5 cm long as the scion, and keeping the terminal bud is ideal. The high-grafting method is generally used. After grafting, place it in a shaded spot, and once the scion's buds produce leaves, place it directly in sunlight. After surviving, it can bloom in the first year.

Guihua's growing methods

1. Soil: Guihua has strong adaptability and can be cultivated in sandy soil, clay soil, and ordinary soil. Seedlings grown in sandy soil have well-developed root systems.

2. Transplanting: Guihua is easy to transplant and survive. Carry it out in early spring before growth starts, preferably in a semi-shaded environment, and pay attention to fertilizer and water management after it survives.

3. Fertilizing: Guihua should be fertilized with light applications given frequently. If leaves turn yellow, spray the leaves with a 1/1000 ferrous sulfate solution, and apply fertilizer once after flowering.

4. Pruning: The main branches of Guihua easily produce water sprouts that disrupt the tree shape, so pruning can be done appropriately after flowering. In summer, cut off the tips of water sprouts to tidy the overall shape.

5. Pests and diseases: Guihua leaves have abundant hairs, so they are generally not easily harmed by pests and diseases, but during the plum rain season it is usually necessary to spray some Bordeaux mixture for prevention and control.

Guihua's precautions

1. Guihua has strong adaptability. During the growing period, supplement nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer according to the principle of light applications given frequently.

2. For home potted Guihua, you can choose the sowing method, or choose small seedlings to plant directly.

3. Guihua is generally planted in spring or late autumn with a soil ball, which can improve the survival rate.

How to grow Guihua? Guihua's growing methods and precautions

Image: Guihua

[Common question] How to grow Guihua? Guihua's growing methods and precautions

[Expert answer]

1. Sowing

The fruit of Guihua is a drupe among simple fruits. The inner pericarp is extremely hard and wraps outside the seed. The seed collection period is generally after October, with the outer pericarp turning black as the sign of maturity. After collection, the seeds should be stored in sand, taken out the following Qingming, the pericarp washed off, and the seed shell (inner pericarp) peeled off, or part of the seed shell worn away, or soaked in a 0.1% dilute acid solution for 24 hours to soften the seed shell before sowing. Untreated seeds are generally very difficult to sprout in the same year. After sowing, cover with about 1.5 cm of soil. If sown in pots, water and loosen the soil frequently so the seedlings emerge as soon as possible.

2. Seedling management

Shelled seeds generally emerge after about 1 month. When the seedlings have just produced their first pair of leaves, appropriate shading should be provided, especially at noon, so that direct sunlight does not hit the seedlings, lest water transpires too quickly and causes the young leaves to wilt. If the leaves are found to curl inward but recover immediately in the evening, it means the transpiration of the leaves exceeds the absorption of the root system, a phenomenon common under hot or dry conditions.

3. Grafting

Seedling Guihua generally takes 7 to 8 years to bloom, whereas if grafted with flower-bud-bearing branches from an adult Guihua, it can bloom in the first year after surviving. The grafting method is: in early March (before the buds break), take a branch from a mother tree that can bloom (usually a peripheral branch in the middle-upper part of the crown), cut a section about 5 cm long as the scion, and keeping the terminal bud is ideal. The high-grafting method is generally used. After grafting, place it in a shaded spot. Once the scion's buds produce leaves, place it directly in sunlight. There is a growth correlation between the trunk and branches of Guihua. When a side branch is high-grafted, the top of the trunk should be cut off to speed up the survival and growth of the scion, so that it enters full bloom earlier.

4. Pruning

Pruning of Guihua is one of the most important parts of growing Guihua. Guihua differentiates new flower buds after the flowers fade in midsummer each year, and forms flower buds in March of the following year. Therefore, in summer, when cutting off the spent flowers, all branches on the Guihua plant should be cut back once, to prevent the flowers from moving upward year by year and leaving the lower part bare. Cutting back often stimulates a large number of latent buds on the main branches to sprout, forming many water sprouts, which not only consume nutrients but also disrupt the tree shape, so they should be rubbed off as soon as the latent buds begin to sprout. As the tree ages, the vitality of the perennial old branches declines year by year, and at this point a heavy pruning should be carried out: apart from retaining sturdy main branches of about 50 cm, cut off the entire crown, and use the new water sprouts emerging from latent buds to renew the old tree.

5. Pest and disease control

Guihua has strong adaptability and can be cultivated in sandy soil, clay soil, and ordinary soil. Seedlings grown in sandy soil have well-developed root systems. During the peak growing season, pay attention to light applications of fertilizer given frequently. If leaves are found to turn yellow, spray the leaves with a 1/1000 ferrous sulfate solution. Guihua leaves have abundant hairs, so they are generally not easily harmed by pests. However, the degree of cutinization of the lower epidermis is relatively low, and the secretions produced by some fungal spores during germination can dissolve this part of the cuticle, so during the plum rain season it is usually necessary to spray some Bordeaux mixture for prevention and control. In addition, because the refractive property of the Guihua cuticle is medium, it should not be exposed to direct blazing sun in hot weather.

[Editor's review] Guihua is a common feng shui plant. Many people plant a Guihua in their courtyard to purify the air and improve the home environment. Of course, it is not something growing in the wild that can be left to fend for itself. Many people ask, how exactly should Guihua be grown? The editor of Diyi Nongjing introduces Guihua's growing methods and precautions for you here, hoping to be of help.

Guihua's growing methods and precautions

Guihua's sowing method

The sowing time for Guihua is generally around Qingming. Take out the seeds collected the previous year, remove the hard outer shell, soak them in warm water for 24 hours, and sow after the shell softens. Note that untreated seeds are very difficult to sprout after sowing.

After sowing the seeds, they generally emerge in about 1 month. When the seedlings grow their first leaf, appropriate shade can be provided; best to avoid light at noon, lest water evaporates too quickly and causes the seedlings to wilt.

If leaf curling is often observed but recovers after evening, it means the weather is dry and water is insufficient. During the day, water frequently to increase air humidity.

Guihua's pruning method

Pruning is the most important step in the process of growing Guihua.

After the remaining flowers fade each year, new flower buds differentiate. In March of the following year, flower buds begin to form. Therefore, after the flowers fade, cut back once, shortening the branches that grow too fast, to prevent the lower branches from becoming bare as the Guihua grows.

As the Guihua keeps growing, the branches gradually age, so timely heavy pruning should be carried out. Retain sturdy branches of 50 cm, and cut off all the remaining crown branches to promote the sprouting of new branches.

Guihua's pest and disease control

During cultivation, Guihua often shows yellowing leaves. Pay attention to timely supplementation of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and spray a ferrous sulfate solution once a week.

Guihua's leaves are covered with hairs, so they are generally not harmed by pests. But bacteria can attach to the leaves, especially in rainy seasons. So spray Bordeaux mixture once a month and ventilate frequently.

Guihua's growing precautions

Guihua has well-developed roots and strong adaptability. During the growing period, supplement nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer according to the principle of light applications given frequently.

For home potted Guihua, you can choose the sowing method, or choose small seedlings to plant directly. Generally, planting is done in spring or late autumn with a soil ball, which can improve the survival rate.